If you are flying in or out of Chiang Mai around Yi Peng this year, your booking may already have changed. Chiang Mai International Airport says airlines have cancelled 108 flights, moved 80 to new times and added 105 special flights between 21 and 28 November 2026, to keep aircraft clear of the sky lanterns released during the festival.
The figures come from the airport's director, Group Captain Sakan Udon, in a statement published by the Chiang Mai office of the Government Public Relations Department on 2 November. They reflect airline schedules as of 30 October, so further changes are possible.
When flights are being kept out of the sky
Chiang Mai province has asked airlines not to operate during three lantern-release windows: from 10.00 to 12.00 on 24 November, and from 19.00 to 01.00 the following morning on both 24 and 25 November. Yi Peng and Loy Krathong fall on those two days, and the airport expects more than 200,000 sky lanterns and smoke lanterns to be released inside its air safety zone.
Because of those gaps, the airport's usual operating day of about 20 hours shrinks to about 12 hours. It still expects an average of around 210 flights a day over the festival period, rising to as many as 232, roughly 10 per cent more than on a normal day. Khaosod English and Matichon report the same figures.
What this means at the terminal
Squeezing more flights into fewer hours means busier halls at peak times. The airport says it will open check-in counters to match each period's flights, add security screening points for departing passengers and step up inspections of the airfield for lanterns and debris. A notice to pilots sets out the release times.
For arrivals, the airport says limousines, metered taxis, the airport shuttle bus and the RTC City Bus will run about 1,280 trips a day between them, with around 2,500 Grab cars and nine car rental companies also lined up.
How to plan your trip
If you are travelling between 21 and 28 November, check your flight time with your airline before leaving home, even if you booked months ago, because flights can still be retimed or cancelled for safety reasons. The airport asks passengers to arrive at least two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international one, and to use online check-in, self-service kiosks and self bag drop where they can.
Evening travel on 24 and 25 November is the most affected, so if your plans are flexible, a daytime flight or a day either side of the festival is less likely to be disrupted. For where and when lanterns may be released this year, see MEM's Yi Peng 2026 guide, and follow Chiang Mai province's own announcement on release zones.